Novak Djokovic hires former rival Andy Murray as his new coach

Novak Djokovic announced that he has hired long-time rival Andy Murray to be his new coach ahead of the 2025 season.

The two shared the news in a statement and video on social media Saturday, explaining that Murray, who retired from his competitive career after the Olympics in July, would work with Djokovic in the offseason and at least through the Australian Open.

“I’m excited to have one of my biggest rivals on the same side of the net as my coach,” Djokovic said. “I’m looking forward to (the start of) the season and competing in Australia alongside Andy, with whom I’ve shared many exceptional moments on Australian soil.”

Murray added that he was “really excited about it and looking forward to spending time on the same side of the net as Novak for a change and helping him achieve his goals.”

Djokovic and Murray, both 37, were born a week apart in May 1987 and first played each other as promising 11-year-olds. Since that first meeting, which Murray won, the pair would go on to have dozens of memorable matches at the junior level and on the ATP tour. Djokovic ultimately held a 25-11 career record over Murray, including four wins in the Australian Open finals. Murray defeated Djokovic for two of his three career major titles at the 2012 US Open and Wimbledon in 2013.

In March, Djokovic parted ways with coach Goran Ivanisevic after six years – and 12 Grand Slam titles – together and had not hired a permanent replacement since. After winning three major titles, including his record 24th overall, during the 2023 season, Djokovic struggled uncharacteristically in 2024, failing to win a Grand Slam or a tour-level tournament of any kind. He won his first Olympic gold medal in Paris, something he had never been able to achieve in his previous four Games.

After skipping the year-end ATP Finals, where he was the defending champion, Djokovic finished the season ranked no. 7.

In a post on Instagram and X announcing Murray’s hiring, Djokovic wrote: “He never liked retirement anyway,” referring to Murray’s post after his last match in which he joked that he “never even liked tennis anyway.”

“We had some of the most epic matches in our sport. I thought maybe our story was over, (but it) turns out it has a final chapter,” Djokovic said in the video. “It’s time for one of my toughest opponents to step into my corner.”

The 2025 Australian Open gets underway in Melbourne on January 12. Already the winningest singles player in the Open era at the event, Djokovic will be looking for his 11th title, which would tie him with Margaret Court for the most ever. It would also break his tie with Court for the biggest singles titles in tennis history.